1

Unit I: The Teaching Profession: An

Overview

Prof. Mae S. Bagsit

Introduction:

This chapter includes three lessons which present the overview and perspectives
of Teaching as a Profession, as a Vocation, and as a Mission. It wraps up with the
discussion of Teaching as the Noblest Profession. This affords the pre-service teachers
the opportunity to grasp fully the viewpoints and varying concepts of the teaching
profession and internalize their being into teaching as the noblest of all professions.

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Lesson 1: Teaching as a Profession

Learning Outcomes

1. Explained the concept of teaching as a profession;

2. Traced the historical development of the teaching profession in the

Philippines; and

3. Shared insights about the teaching profession in the “new normal” context.

SPARKING

Directions: Study the pictures in each frame carefully. Tell what the pictures suggest.
Write your answer on the line provided in each frame.

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PROBING

 What does the word “professional” mean as reflected in the activity that
you just did?

DEEPENING

Teaching is universally accepted as a profession. The term profession commonly

refers to one’s occupation, job or specialty. It has defined goals and from its
performance one derives self-fulfillment. Some views cited by educational experts on
profession are—one’s employment or lifework. A teacher considers it as his career or
field of lifelong endeavor.

Teaching is viewed as a profession if its choice is motivated by any or all of the

following:

 Pursued to achieve a goal, objective, or purpose;

 Involves direction borne by proper planning;
 Provides opportunities for self-fulfillment and enhances self-esteem;
 Allows expression of love, care, and compassion for children;
 Contributes to one’s growth and advancement; and
 Provide job security

If you consider teaching as a profession then:

• You must be willing to go through a long period of

preparation
• You must be willing to go through continuing
education ( continuous development of potentials)
• You must strive for excellence (not "pwede na"
mentality)
• You commit yourself to moral, ethical, and religous
values & to service.

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There are two essential elements of being a “professional”: competence and

acode of ethics. One needs to possess the necessary skill and expertise to facilitate
and ensure the learning of the students. The teacher has to plan systematically, make
decisions wisely, and employ developmentally-appropriate methods and strategies to
effect learning among her/his students. Moreover, the teacher is as well looked up as a
paragon of virtues and thus has to conform to the technical or ethical standards of a
profession. The teaching profession is governed by the Code of Ethics for Professional
Teachers. A teacher who violates this Code of Ethics can be suspended from the practice
of the teaching profession that could also result to a revocation of his/her professional
certificate of registration (Sec. 23, RA 7836).

The other elements of a profession are:

1. Initial Professional Education

Professionals generally begin their professional lives by completing a university

program in their chosen fields – teacher education, engineering, nursing, accountancy.
This means long and arduous years of preparation. Take note this is just initial, which
means only the beginning because a professional is expected to learn endlessly.

2. Accreditation

University programs are approved by a regulatory body like the Commission on

Higher Education (CHED) in the Philippines to ensure that graduates from these
recognized programs start their professional lives with competence.

3. Licensing

Licensing is mandatory, not voluntary and is administered by the government

authority. In the Philippines, this government authority is the Professional Regulation
Commission (PRC).

4. Professional Development

This is an ongoing professional education that maintains or improves

professionals' knowledge and skills after they begin professional practice. In the
Philippines this is Continuing Professional Development mandated by RA 10912,
otherwise known as the CPD Act of 2016.

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5. Professional Societies

Professionals see themselves as part of a community of like-minded individuals

who put their professional standards above the individual self-interest or their
employer's self- interest. These professional societies put dedication to the public
interest and commitment to moral and ethical values.

Professional societies define certification criteria managecertification programs,

establish accreditation standards define a code of ethics and disciplinary action for
violation of that code.

6. Code of Ethics

Each profession has a code of ethics to ensure that its practitioners behave
responsibly. The code states what professionals should do. Professionals can be ejected
from their professional societies or lose their licenses to practice for violating the code of
ethics. (McConnell, Steve, Source: http://www.alexsbrown.com/profy.html

Retrieved 6-3-18)

The teaching profession is governed by the Code of Ethics for Professional

Teachers. Violation of the Code of Ethics for professional teachers is one of the grounds
for the revocation of the professional teacher's Certificate of Registration and suspension
from the practice of the teaching profession (Sec. 23., RA. 7836).

The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession

1. Commitment to Students and Student Learning

Members are dedicated in their care and commitment to students. They treat
students equitably and with respect and are sensitive to factors that influence individual
student learning. Members facilitate the development of students as contributing citizens
of the society.

2. Professional Knowledge

Members strive to be current in their professional knowledge and recognize its

relationship to practice. They understand and reflect on student development, learning
theory, pedagogy, curriculum, ethics, educational research and related policies and
legislation to inform professional judgment in practice.

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3. Professional Practice

Members apply professional knowledge and experience to promote student

learning. They use appropriate pedagogy, assessment and evaluation, resources and
technology in planning for and responding to the needs of individual students and
learning communities. Members refine their professional practice through ongoing
inquiry, dialogue and reflection.

4. Leadership in Learning Communities

Members promote and participate in the creation of collaborative, safe and

supportive learning communities. They recognize their shared responsibilities and their
leadership roles in order to facilitate student success. Members maintain and uphold the
principles of the ethical standards in these learning communities.

5. Ongoing Professional Learning

Members recognize that a commitment to ongoing professional learning is

integral to effective practice and to student learning. Professional practice and self-
directed learning are informed by experience, research, collaboration and knowledge.

Figure1. The Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession

Adapted from Ontario College of Teachers @https://www.oct.ca/public/professional-

standards/standardspractice#:~:text=The%20Purposes%20of%20the%20Standards,actions%20of
%20the%20teaching%20profession

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The Historical Development of Teaching as a Profession in the

Philippines

SPARKING

What do you think is the chronological arrangement of these statements?

Number them in sequence.

_____The establishment of a normal school for male teachers under the supervision
of the Jesuits
_____Philippine Commission authorized the Secretary of Public Instruction to bring
to the Philippines 600 teachers, Thomasites, from the U.S.A.
_____No established formal schooling in the country; no formal preparation for
teachers
_____The Spanish missionaries served as teachers
_____The PNS-Manila was established as a training institution for teachers.
_____An RA was enacted to require a licensure examination for teachers.

PROBING

 What helped you come up with the logical arrangement of events in the historical
development of teaching as a profession in our country? Why do you need to know
about this?

DEEPENING

According to Bilbao, et. al (2018), the first legal document that professionalized
teaching was Presidential Decree 1006 issued by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos. It
was only in 1976 with PD 1006 known as the Decree Professionalizing Teaching that
teachers in the Philippines became professionalized. The need to professionalize
teaching was felt “to insure that in the immediacy and urgency of teacher recruitment,
qualitative requirements are not overlooked ...” and “although teaching requires a
number of years of collegiate study, it is the only course that is not yet considered a
profession" (PD 1006). Furthermore ... "in recognition of the vital role of teachers in
nation-building and as an incentive to raise the morale of teachers, it is imperative that

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they be considered as professionals and teaching be recognized as a profession."

(P.D.1006)
Then in 1994, R.A 7836, otherwise known as the Philippine Teachers
Professionalization Act of 1994, was passed to "promote quality education by proper
supervision and regulation of the licensure examination and professionalization of the
practice of the teaching profession.” (Section 2)
During the pre-Hispanic period, there was no established formal schooling in the
country. So there was no formal preparation for teachers, too. The mothers and fathers
and tribal leaders served as teachers at home and in the community.
During the Spanish period and by virtue of Educational Decree of 1863 free
public school system was established. There was one school for boys and another school
for girls in every municipality. The Spanish missionaries served as teachers. The same
Decree provided for a normal school run by the Jesuits to educate male teachers in
Manila. Normal schools for women were not established until 1875. So it was the
Spaniards who started training teachers in normal schools.
Paz Ramos, once Dean of the College of Education of the University of the
Philippines, Diliman, claims:
The foundations of teacher education in the Philippines were laid by the Spanish
government during the mid-eighteenth century. It is said to have begun on August 4,
1765, when King Charles of Spain issued a Royal Decree requiring each village to have a
"maestro.” On November 28, 1772, another Royal Decree specified the qualifications of
teachers. However, it was not until, 1863 that there was a specific attempt to
systematize and update the education of Filipino teachers.
At the end of Spanish rule, schools during the Spanish era were closed for a time
by Aguinaldo's government. So there was no teacher preparation that took place.
During the American regime, American soldiers served as the first teachers. In
1901, the Philippine Commission enacted into law Act 74 which created the Department
of Public Instruction, laid the foundations of the public school system and offered free
primary education for Filipinos.
There was a shortage of teachers. The Philippine Commission authorized the
Secretary of Public Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from USA. They
were the Thomasites. Due to urgent need for teachers, the Americans gave bright young
Filipino students opportunity to take up higher education in American colleges and
universities financed by the Phil. Government. They were the pensionados.

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Act 74 of 1901 also provided for the establishment of Philippine Normal School
(PNS) in Manila. The Philippine Normal School formally opened in September 1901, as an
institution for the training of teachers. For more than two decades, PNS offered a two-
year general secondary education program. In 1928, it became a junior college offering
a two-year program to graduates of secondary schools. In 1949, the Philippine Normal
School, renamed Philippine Normal College, offered the four-year Bachelor of Science in
Elementary Education. Other four year teacher education courses followed after. This
means that the present four-year preparation for the professional teacher began as a
two-year program only. Teacher preparation became four years only in 1949 and
thereafter.

For additional references, please click and study the following links:
https://www.deped.gov.ph/about-
deped/history/https://www.slideshare.net/ethanpedlaza/historical-development-of-
philippine-educational-system

The Teaching Profession in the “New Normal” Context

SPARKING

Directions: Fill in the mind map below to answer this question: “What kind of teacher I
would be under this “new normal” context?

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PROBING

 What picture of yourself did you come up to be teaching amidst this

COVID 19 pandemic?
 How do you think could you facilitate your students to learn?

DEEPENING

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our everyday life in many ways and, in
particular, the education sector. The implications and effects of this pandemic are yet to
be known. However, the current situation makes evident and even exacerbates
inequalities in access to education but it also entails opportunities to reshape education,
teacher education and educational institutions. Plans of modifications in terms of
teaching-learning modalities have been made—flexible and/or blended, remote/distance,
or a combination of face-to-face and distance learning. A lot of challenges for both the
teachers and students are so far identified like the production of modules, creating
online classrooms, accessibility to internet, and many others.
The learning-from-home mode has abruptly changed the roles of teachers,
students and parents. The need for autonomous learning requires that teachers shift to
be designers and facilitators of learning instead of the sage on the stage. The teachers’
primary task is now to guide students to independently work on developmentally-
appropriate learning materials that address their diverse needs. This new normal will
hopefully drive education authorities to design a sustainable framework for a needs-
based curriculum and provide a repertoire of learning modules. Multiple types of literacy
and modalities required to survive and contribute to the 21st century should be included
in this curriculum.

Some teaching-learning modalities suggested to be employed are as follows:

1.Modular Approach - is an emerging trend educational thinking that shifts traditional

method of instruction to an outcome-based learning paradigm. Modularization is based
on the principle of dividing the curriculum into small discrete modules or units that are
independent, consequential, and typically short in duration. (https://www.tandfonline.com)

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2. Blended Learning - Oxford Dictionary defines Blended Learning: a style of

education in which students learn via electronic and online media as well as traditional
face-to-face teaching. According to Education Elements, which develops hybrid learning
technologies, successful blended learning occurs when technology and teaching inform
each other: material becomes dynamic when it reaches students of varying learning
styles. In other words, hybrid classrooms on the Internet can reach and engage students
in a truly customizable way. In this scenario, online education is a game-changer, not
just a supplement for the status quo. (https://www.teachthought.com/learning/the-definition-
of-blended-learning/)

3.Distance/Remote - is where the student and the educator, or information source,

are not physically present in a traditional classroom environment. Information is relayed
through technology, such as discussion boards, video conferencing, and online
assessments. Remote Learning can occur synchronously with real-time peer-to-peer
interaction and collaboration, or asynchronously, with self-paced learning activities that
take place independently of the instructor. It also refers to educational activities that
have a variety of formats and methods, most of which take place online. There are a
number of online options available for communicating with students, collecting
assignments, and distributing education material. (https://tophat.com/glossary/r/remote-
learning/)

The Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education have been

formulating plans and the desirable steps to take to combat the current pandemic in
relation to sustaining the students’ love for learning. Though different modalities of
teaching-learning are to be employed, these students still should be properly guided and
nurtured in facilitating their learning under this “new normal” context. The teachers are
equipped with more knowledge and skills via webinars, teleconferencing sessions, and
the like so to deliver the learning content efficiently to their students and assess their
performances appropriately. They have been engaged into module-production and
creation or adaptation of online applications such as Google classroom, DepEd
commons, canvas, zoom, etc.
COVID 19 may offer a lot of challenges to the teaching profession, yet we have
to continue our roles as catalysts of change and innovation and efficient facilitators of
learning. The teaching-learning modalities maybe adjusted to the situation but our
commitment and mission to our profession remain.

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With a renewed understanding of the why, who and what of education, the how
is a matter of technicality. As Friedrich Nietzsche said: “If you understand the why,
you can endure anyhow.”

For additional readings, view and study the links below.

 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341981898_The_COVID-
19_Pandemic_through_the_Lens_of_Education_in_the_Philippines_The_Ne
w_Normal
 https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/06/19/the-challenge-of-education-in-
the-new-normal/
https://opinion.inquirer.net/129286/ph-education-and-the-new-normal

APPLYING

Do the following activities:

1. Write a 250-word essay of your insights about “Teaching Profession: Then and Now”
(submit your answer in a separate file).

2. Fill in the timeline below of the historical development of teacher preparation and
professionalization in the Philippines from the pre-Hispanic period to 1996.

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Lesson 2: Teaching as Vocation & Mission

Learning Outcomes

1. Explained the concept of teaching as a vocation & mission.

SPARKING

Which of the following scenarios convey the idea of a vocation or mission?

Write V for vocation; M for mission before each number.

_____1. Mam Estrella gives her grade 6 class a problem to brainstorm and arrive at a
solution. All the members of the groups really tried their best to get the task done in a
time frame set by their teacher.

_____2. Although Luisa was persuaded by her Mom to take up Nursing as a course so
she can better serve as a front liner in their community, yet, the former still hold on to
her calling to enter the congregation of nuns.

_____3. No matter how Peter tries to accept and do his present job as a sales manager,
but he doesn’t feel good about being one. He feels he should do something else that
he’ll surely enjoy.

PROBING

 Are vocation and mission two different concepts or just mean the same?
 What makes a difference between these two concepts?
 Is teaching a vocation or a mission?

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DEEPENING

Teaching as a Vocation

Vocation comes from the Latin word "vocare” which means to call. Based on the
etymology of the word, vocation, therefore, means a call. If there is a call, there must be
a caller and someone who is called. There must also be a response. For Christians, the
Caller is God Himself. For our brother and sister Muslims, Allah. Believers in the Supreme
being will look at this voiceless call to have a vertical dimension. For non-believers, the
call is also experienced but this may have viewed solely along a horizontal dimension. It
is like man calling another man, never a Superior being calling man.
Most often, when people use the word "vocation,” they refer to a religious
vocation, like the mother in the Activity phase of this Lesson. Vocation includes other big
callings like marriage and single blessedness. It does not only refer to a religious
vocation. It can also refer to a call to do something like to teach, to heal the sick, etc.
Whatever is our calling or station in life, the call is always to serve.
The Christians among you realize that the Bible is full of stories of men and
women who were called by God to do something not for themselves but for others. We
know of Abraham, the first one called by God, to become the father of a great nation,
the nation of God's chosen people. We recall Moses who was called while in Egypt to
lead God's chosen people out of Egypt in order to free them from slavery. In the New
Testament, we know of Mary who was also called by God to become the mother of the
Savior, Jesus Christ. In Islam, we are familiar with Muhammad, the last of the prophets
to be called by Allah, to spread the teachings of Allah. All of them responded positively
to God's call. Buddha must have also heard the call to abandon his royal life in order to
seek the answer to the problem on suffering.
From the eyes of those who believe, it was God who called you to teach, just as
God called Abraham, Moses, and Mary, of the Bible. Among so many, you were called to
teach. Like you, these biblical figures did not also understand the events surrounding
their call. But in their great faith, they answered YES. Mary said: “Behold the handmaid
of the Lord. Be it done to me according to your word”. (Of course, it is difficult
explaining your call to teach as God's call for one who, in the first place, denies God's
existence, for this is a matter of faith.) The fact that you are now in the College of
Teacher Education signifies that you said YES to the call to teach. Perhaps you never
dreamt to become a teacher! But here you are now preparing to become one! Teaching

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must be your vocation, your calling. May this YES response remain a YES and become
even firmer through the years.

Teaching as a Mission

Teaching is also a mission. The word mission comes from the Latin word
“mission” which means "to send." The Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary defines
mission as “task assigned." You are sent to accomplish an assigned task.

The phrase "mission accomplished” from the soldier in the Activity phase of this
lesson suggests that you were sent to do an assigned task, a mission and so if you
faithfully accomplish the assigned task, you proclaim "mission accomplished." You
responded. to the call to be a teacher and so your mission in the world is to teach, the
task entrusted to you in this world. These are how Vocation and mission are related. You
were called for a purpose, i.e. to accomplish a mission while on earth which is to teach.

If it is your assigned task, then naturally you've got to prepare yourself for it.
From now on you cannot take your studies for granted! Your four years of pre-service
preparation will equip you with the knowledge, skills and attitude to become an effective
teacher. However, never commit the mistake of culminating your mission preparation at
the end of the four-year pre-service education. You have embarked in a mission that
calls for a continuing professional development As the saying goes "once a teacher,
forever a student.” (More is said of continuing professional development in the Code of
Ethics for Professional Teachers in Chapter 5.)

Flowing from your uniqueness, you are expected to contribute to the betterment
of this world in your own unique way. Your unique and most significant contribution to
the humanization of life on earth is in the field for which you are prepared - teaching.

What exactly is the mission to teach? Is it merely to teach the child the
fundamental skills or basic r's of reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic and right conduct? Is it to
help the child master the basic skills so he/she can continue acquiring higher-level skills
in order to become a productive member of society? Is it to deposit facts and other
information into the “empty minds” of students to be withdrawn during quizzes and
tests? Or is it to “midwife” the birth of ideas latent in the minds of students? Is it to
facilitate the maximum development of his/her potential not only for himself/herself but
also for others? In the words of Alfred North Whitehead, is it to help the child become

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“the man of culture and of expertise?" Or is it "to provide opportunities for the child's
growth and to remove hampering influences” as Bertrand Russell put it? You will be
made to answer this question again when you will be made to write down your
philosophy of education in a later lesson.

To teach is to do all of these and more! To teach is to influence every child

entrusted in your care to become better and happier because life becomes more
meaningful. To teach is to help the child become more human.

Teaching is indeed your mission:

 If you are doing it not only for the pay but also for service,
 If you keep on teaching out of love, it's a mission.
 If you are committed to teaching even if it means letting go of other
activities,
 If you remain teaching even though nobody recognizes your efforts, It
makes you get excited
 If your concern is success plus faithfulness, it's a mission.

Teaching and a life of meaning

Want to give your life a meaning? Want to live a purpose driven life? Spend it
passionately in teaching, the noblest profession. Consider what Dr. Josette T. Biyo, the
first Asian teacher to win the Intel Excellence in Teaching Award in an international
competition, said in a speech delivered before a selected group of teachers,
superintendents, Department of Education officials and consultants, to wit:

Teaching may not be a lucrative position. It cannot guarantee financial security.

It even means. investing your personal time, energy, and resources. Sometimes it
means disappointments, heartaches, and pains. But touching the hearts of people and
opening the minds of children can give you joy and contentment which money could not
buy. These are the moments I teach for. These are the moments I live for.

There may be times, when you will feel like giving up (many leave teaching after
3 or 5 years for varied reasons). Remember you responded to the call to teach and that
you have accepted the mission to teach. May you be found faithful to your vocation and
mission till the end.

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The "Pwedena” Mentality: Enemy of Excellent Mission Preparation and

Accomplishment

For a professional teacher who looks at teaching as his/her mission, he/she will
do everything to arm himself/herself for an excellent accomplishment of that mission.
The striving for excellent accomplishment sometimes brings us to our “pwedena”
mentality, which is inimical to excellence. This mentality is expressed in other ways like
"talagang ganyan 'yan,” “wala na tayong magawa," "di

For a professional teacher who looks at teaching as his/ her mission, he/she will
do everything to arm himself/herself for an excellent accomplishment of that mission.
namahalata," "di ko na 'yan sagot," "dagdag trabaho/gastos lang yan" - all indicators of
defeatism and resignation to mediocrity. If we stick to this complacent mentality,
excellent mission accomplishment eludes us. In the world of work whether here or
abroad, only the best and the brightest make it. (At this time, you must have heard that
with the rigid selection of teacher applicants done by DepEd only a few make it!) The
mortality rate in the Licensure Examination for Teachers for these past years is a glaring
evidence that excellence is very much wanting of our teacher education graduates. If we
remain true to our calling and mission as a professional teacher, we have no choice but
to take the endless and the “less traveled road' to excellence.

(Please click and read the link below for supplementary information.)

https://www.academia.edu/34235366/Teaching_as_Your_Vocation_Mission_and_Profess
ion

APPLYING

(Answer in a separate file or paper.)

A. Interview a schoolteacher who has at least 3 years of teaching experience from any
level—elementary, secondary, or college and ask him/her these questions:

1. What are your “joys and sorrows” in teaching?

2. What made you stay long in your career as a teacher?

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B. Read and reflect on this excerpt from the True Decalogue of ApolinarioMabini and
answer these questions: What mission has God given to teachers? As a would-be
teacher, how will you contribute to the progress of humanity?

Develop the special talents that God has given you, working and studying
according to your capabilities, never straying from the path of good and justice in order
to achieve your own perfection, and by this means you will contribute to the progress of
humanity: thus you will accomplish the mission that God himself has given you in this
life, and achieving this, you will have honor, and having honor, you will be glorifying
God. (Source: http://malacanang.gov.ph/8132-the-true-decalogue-by-apolinario-
mabini/Retrieved, June 22, 2018)

MY REFLECTION

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Lesson 3: Teaching, the Noblest of all Professions

Learning Outcomes

1. Cited reasons why teaching is considered the noblest of all professions;

and
2. Derived a personal commitment to the teaching profession

SPARKING

View and reflect on the video clip, “Every Kid Needs a Champion”

https://educationandbehavior.com/professional-development-videos-for-teachers/

PROBING

 How did the teacher make every kid in her class love learning?
 If you were the teacher, would you also do the same as she did in the video?
Why? Why not?

DEEPENING

Teaching has always been considered a noble profession that requires great
passion. Being a teacher in the Philippines is a far more interesting story to tell. The
challenges abound and one’s passion can truly be tested, and if one prevails, a diamond
in the rough emerges.

In times of challenges and struggles, a teacher never gives up. She keeps the
passion burning. She always reminds herself of the proverb, “Give a man a fish and he
eats for a day; teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.”

The following article of “6 Filipino teachers with inspiring stories to tell”

reminds and inspires people to never give up in helping those in need and to continue to
touch hearts, nurture minds, and transform the lives of the young learners.

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6 Filipino teachers with inspiring stories to tell

There are already a number of Filipino teachers who made a mark both in the
country and abroad. Some have even received recognition from remarkable international
organizations and their inspiring stories can touch and motivate each of us.

1. Sabrina Ongkiko

This Ateneo graduate originally planned to be a doctor or a nun, hence her

choice to take up BS Biology as her pre-med course. However, it seems that it was not
what she was meant to do when she was invited to be a volunteer teacher. Ongkiko
recalled how she broke the news to her parents of no longer pursuing her med school
dreams, after she made a deal with God of giving herself fully once called into a mission.
When she finally began teaching in a public school in Quezon City, Ongkiko witnessed
the daily struggles her students face which pushed her to become a better teacher. She
successfully nurtured students under her wing, even those who received failing marks
from previous school years. “Teaching is about your student telling you that: ‘Ma’am,
ang galling ko na.Natuto na ako,’” Ongkiko said.

2. Elizabeth Miranda

While some experience the luxury of heading to work with a decent mode of
transportation, Miranda had to travel at least two hours – crossing rivers either by foot
or a lifebuoy – just to reach her classroom in a remote barangay in Occidental Mindoro.
Her every day travel did not dampen her spirits as she claims that she is the only person
available to educate her students. According to Miranda, just seeing her class
participating and learning was fulfilling enough to be the reward of her inconvenient
commute.

3. Randy Halasan

At first, Halasan intended to grab any chance of reassignment he’ll see when he
was sent to teach in the mountainous part of Davao del Sur. He thought he could not
survive in a place that was cut off from civilization – no electricity nor signal. But after
seeing his students’ determination to learn, arriving at school tired and hungry from their
morning travel, he stayed. Now, Halasan is the head teacher. He was able to improve
what once was a two-room school house became a full-fledged establishment with nine
rooms and eight teachers under his management. Aside from that, he also involved

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himself with the community, teaching tribesmen the proper way of farming. He argued
that only doing his part within the four corners of the classroom would not spark a huge
change since his students would still live in hunger and fatigue. “No one got rich out of
teaching; it’s your legacy that matters,” Halasan shared.

4. Adelfa Amancio

English Filipino teacher Amancio had a well-established language school in Cebu

that mostly caters to the Japanese community in the area. With the intention of
widening her horizons, she posted online advertisements of her school. One time, she
sent 10 e-mails to various language schools in Japan, hoping that it would further
promote her school. Some replied, expressing their gratitude towards her e-mail, while
others did not even acknowledge her message. But there was one response she did not
expect to receive – inviting her to work in the foreign country. Not thinking twice, she
gladly accepted despite the knowledge of the discrimination Filipinos usually experience
in the land of the rising sun. Most of the Japanese institutions only consider those from
the western countries to be capable of teaching the English language, but Amancio
brushed them off and exhibited her prowess in the subject. Amancio remained
professional and strived for an outstanding result term after term, aiming to prove that
their view towards Filipinos is highly biased and wrong. Eventually, she succeeded on
her goal as she became a well-respected Filipino educator abroad in Japan.

5. Efren Bino

Coming from a family who suffered poverty for a long time, Bino pursued
education to inspire others that ‘poverty can be overcome and that they can finish
school.’ He undertook several positions at an elementary school in Albay – being a
teacher, principal, property custodian, and security guard as well. Besides having
numerous faces at school, Bino had to endure an exhausting commute which later on
prompted him to live in his workplace during weekdays. Bino taught combination
classes, developed the facilities, and appealed to the Department of Education (DepEd)
for an increase in staff. His being busybody turned out to have a positive feedback as he
was able to achieve his dreams and was even awarded with “The Many Faces of a
Teacher” by the Bato Balani Foundation Inc. (BBFI) back in 2013.

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6. Ma. Cristina Medina

This devoted teacher was not blind until 2003 when she suffered a generic eye
condition called Macular Dystrophy. The damage in her retina cells caused her loss of
vision. Regardless of that step back, Medina persevered through her profession and
handled Special Education (SpEd) and regular classes. She identifies her students
through their voice, and makes use of a Braille seat plan. “I will serve and teach because
it is my calling. My impairment gave me an opportunity to become a better teacher. If
anything, it has made my vision clearer,” was Medina’s inspiring message. Medina
proved how passionate she is on teaching amid the loss in vision. Indeed, a teacher is
powerful. You are in a noble profession where you help others become what they want
to be. You are in a profession where you can touch lives and so affect eternity and make
a difference in people’s lives.

Congratulations, you chose the noblest of all professions. May you find joy and
fulfillment in it!

(https://kami.com.ph/52764-6-touching-tales-filipino-teachers-devoted-profession.html)

APPLYING

A. Which of the stories above inspired/touched you most? Why? What realizations
and/reflections in relation to the stories of the Filipino teachers that you have?
Write your answers to these questions in the box provided below.

MY REFLECTION

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

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B. After viewing the “Heart of a Teacher” retrieved from the link below, do the following:
(https://educationandbehavior.com/professional-development-videos-for-teachers/)

 choose/take a picture of something

 write three sentences that sum up your commitment to the teaching profession

References:

 Adapted from Ontario College of Teachers

@https://www.oct.ca/public/professionalstandards/standardspractice#:~:tex
t=The%20Purposes%20of%20the%20Standards
,actions%20of%20the%20teaching%20profession
https://www.deped.gov.ph/aboutdeped/history/https://www.slideshare.net/e
thanpedlaza/historical-development-ofphilippine-educational-system
 https://www.teachthought.com/learning/the-definition-of-blended-learning/
 https://www.teachthought.com/learning/the-definition-of-blended-learning/
1. ____________________________________________________________
 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341981898_The_COVID19_Pande
mic_through_the_Lens_of_Education_in_the_Philippines_The_New_Normal
2. ____________________________________________________________
 https://businessmirror.com.ph/2020/06/19/the-challenge-of-education-in-
the-newnormal/
3. ____________________________________________________________
https://www.academia.edu/34235366/Teaching_as_Your_Vocation_Mission_
and_Profession
 https://educationandbehavior.com/professional-development-videos-for-
teachers/ (https://kami.com.ph/52764-6-touching-tales-filipino-teachers-
devotedprofession.html (https://educationandbehavior.com/professional-
development-videos-for-teachers/

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